Icabad Crane, No Headless Horseman Here

There might be some Halloween jokes about jumping a coffin and a headless horseman within this Icabad Crane blog, but I'll let you find those. I, on the other hand, do want to figure out what great things might come from the combination of eventing legend Phillip Dutton and track hero Icabad Crane.

Not all horse racing fans follow the sport of eventing. If you don't, check it out--it's fun and pretty easy for a steeplechase or horse racing fan to follow. Admiring and being entertained with the eventing world was easy for this racing fan. Have you seen, in person, what these horses and riders jump at the sport's heighest levels?

Rolex Kentucky Three Day EventPhoto: Erica Larson

One of the top level eventers in the world, is the accomplished Phillip Dutton. His resume is impressive, and includes two Olympic team gold medals (1996 and 2000) for his native Australia, multiple World Equestrian Games appearances for both Australia and the United States (after he became a U.S. citizen in 2006), and more than a dozen United States Eventing Association leading rider titles. The Australian Sport Hall of Fame member also won the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, North America’s only four-star competition, in 2008 aboard Connaught.

Icabad Crane was born April 9, 2005. He is by Jump Start (by A.P. Indy) out of Adorahy (by Rahy). Let’s just say the engine and talent genes are intact with this OTTB. His racing career holds at a nice 33-7-7-9 for $585,980 lifetime earnings. Icabad finished in the money for 16 stakes, including the Rushaway Stakes, Kings Point, Empire Classic and Grade 3 William Donald Schaefer Memorial Stakes. The career highlight for Icabad Crane? His 3rd place finish in the 2008 Preakness Stakes. Jason Shandler even picked him to land on the bottom of ticket bets for the 2008 Preakness Stakes.

Icabad Crane schooling for his second career.Photo courtesy of Maggie Kimmitt

During last week's Eclipse Award buzz, Thisishorseracing.com wrote a very nice piece on Icabad Crane, which you need to go read. They caught up with trainer Graham Motion who, with his wife Anita, helped orchestrate Icabad's transition.

"Phillip likes him, it’s not like he’s doing this for the hell of it," Anita told Thisishorseracing.com. "He says he hasn’t been around many horses that are so willing to please, so wanting to do well."

"He [Icabad] was always like that, always very willing," Graham told Thisishorseracing.com. "He’s athletic and his athleticism is one thing, but his disposition is so good. That helped him."

The buzz spilled over into Eventing Nation, a popular eventing destination as well.

There's also a personal side story to Icabad Crane's story that I'd like to
briefly share. I started working at The Blood-Horse in July 2007, so
the 2008 Triple Crown trail was really my first rodeo. Icabad Crane was
on that trail, but didn't make the Kentucky Derby. He showed up at the
Preakness though. Readers of my blog know I can be hooked on a horse simply based on his or her name-such was
the case with Icabad. It was actually a department wide fascination, with help from my
co-worker MaidenWatch, Icabad was one of several on my radar to
follow.

Icabad Crane at the 2008 Preakness Stakes.Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt

Now that I own an OTTB with a wife who events and have many friends who retrain OTTBs for second careers, I fully understand that it is a process. Thoroughbreds love to go fast and usually want to please, so I totally understand why Phillip Dutton told Thisishorseracing.com: "I’d rather not compete him until he’s really ready. I want to get him to understand that he’s not going to get in a starting gate anymore. He’s got to remember the stuff I teach him at home when we go places with a lot of other horses and loudspeakers and things."

What happens when two talented athletes combine forces? I can't wait to see!